diff(1) - c6

1DIFF(1)                          User Commands                         DIFF(1)
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NAME

6       diff - compare files line by line
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SYNOPSIS

9       diff [OPTION]... FILES
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DESCRIPTION

12       Compare files line by line.
13
14       -i  --ignore-case
15              Ignore case differences in file contents.
16
17       --ignore-file-name-case
18              Ignore case when comparing file names.
19
20       --no-ignore-file-name-case
21              Consider case when comparing file names.
22
23       -E  --ignore-tab-expansion
24              Ignore changes due to tab expansion.
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26       -b  --ignore-space-change
27              Ignore changes in the amount of white space.
28
29       -w  --ignore-all-space
30              Ignore all white space.
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32       -B  --ignore-blank-lines
33              Ignore changes whose lines are all blank.
34
35       -I RE  --ignore-matching-lines=RE
36              Ignore changes whose lines all match RE.
37
38       --strip-trailing-cr
39              Strip trailing carriage return on input.
40
41       -a  --text
42              Treat all files as text.
43
44       -c  -C NUM  --context[=NUM]
45              Output NUM (default 3) lines of copied context.
46
47       -u  -U NUM  --unified[=NUM]
48              Output NUM (default 3) lines of unified context.
49
50       --label LABEL
51              Use LABEL instead of file name.
52
53       -p  --show-c-function
54              Show which C function each change is in.
55
56       -F RE  --show-function-line=RE
57              Show the most recent line matching RE.
58
59       -q  --brief
60              Output only whether files differ.
61
62       -e  --ed
63              Output an ed script.
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65       --normal
66              Output a normal diff.
67
68       -n  --rcs
69              Output an RCS format diff.
70
71       -y  --side-by-side
72              Output in two columns.
73
74       -W NUM  --width=NUM
75              Output at most NUM (default 130) print columns.
76
77       --left-column
78              Output only the left column of common lines.
79
80       --suppress-common-lines
81              Do not output common lines.
82
83       -D NAME  --ifdef=NAME
84              Output merged file to show `#ifdef NAME' diffs.
85
86       --GTYPE-group-format=GFMT
87              Similar, but format GTYPE input groups with GFMT.
88
89       --line-format=LFMT
90              Similar, but format all input lines with LFMT.
91
92       --LTYPE-line-format=LFMT
93              Similar, but format LTYPE input lines with LFMT.
94
95       LTYPE is `old', `new', or `unchanged'.
96              GTYPE is LTYPE or `changed'.
97
98              GFMT may contain:
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100       %<     lines from FILE1
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102       %>     lines from FILE2
103
104       %=     lines common to FILE1 and FILE2
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106       %[-][WIDTH][.[PREC]]{doxX}LETTER
107              printf-style spec for LETTER
108
109              LETTERs are as follows for new group, lower case for old group:
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111       F      first line number
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113       L      last line number
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115       N      number of lines = L-F+1
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117       E      F-1
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119       M      L+1
120
121              LFMT may contain:
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123       %L     contents of line
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125       %l     contents of line, excluding any trailing newline
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127       %[-][WIDTH][.[PREC]]{doxX}n
128              printf-style spec for input line number
129
130              Either GFMT or LFMT may contain:
131
132       %%     %
133
134       %c'C'  the single character C
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136       %c'\OOO'
137              the character with octal code OOO
138
139       -l  --paginate
140              Pass the output through `pr' to paginate it.
141
142       -t  --expand-tabs
143              Expand tabs to spaces in output.
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145       -T  --initial-tab
146              Make tabs line up by prepending a tab.
147
148       -r  --recursive
149              Recursively compare any subdirectories found.
150
151       -N  --new-file
152              Treat absent files as empty.
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154       --unidirectional-new-file
155              Treat absent first files as empty.
156
157       -s  --report-identical-files
158              Report when two files are the same.
159
160       -x PAT  --exclude=PAT
161              Exclude files that match PAT.
162
163       -X FILE  --exclude-from=FILE
164              Exclude files that match any pattern in FILE.
165
166       -S FILE  --starting-file=FILE
167              Start with FILE when comparing directories.
168
169       --from-file=FILE1
170              Compare FILE1 to all operands.  FILE1 can be a directory.
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172       --to-file=FILE2
173              Compare all operands to FILE2.  FILE2 can be a directory.
174
175       --horizon-lines=NUM
176              Keep NUM lines of the common prefix and suffix.
177
178       -d  --minimal
179              Try hard to find a smaller set of changes.
180
181       --speed-large-files
182              Assume large files and many scattered small changes.
183
184       -v  --version
185              Output version info.
186
187       --help Output this help.
188
189       FILES  are  `FILE1  FILE2'  or `DIR1 DIR2' or `DIR FILE...' or `FILE...
190       DIR'.  If --from-file or --to-file is given, there are no  restrictions
191       on FILES.  If a FILE is `-', read standard input.
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AUTHOR

194       Written  by  Paul  Eggert, Mike Haertel, David Hayes, Richard Stallman,
195       and Len Tower.
196

REPORTING BUGS

198       Report bugs to <bug-gnu-utils@gnu.org>.
199

COPYRIGHT

201       Copyright © 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
202
203       This program comes with NO WARRANTY, to the extent  permitted  by  law.
204       You  may redistribute copies of this program under the terms of the GNU
205       General Public License.  For more information about these matters,  see
206       the file named COPYING.
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NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

COPYRIGHT

SEE ALSO